I'm Just sayin...

It's Atlanta....
There is traffic....and there is pollen.

Could people find ANOTHER topic to disucss?

Here's one. One of my sisters will be arriving in town this weekend with her husband and 3 girls. She married a nice guy who treats her very well and affords her to stay home, but he comes from one of those Jumpin for Jesus families. Therefore I have been informed that we need to go to Palm Sunday mass. Should anyone be driving down Peachtree on Sunday and see a gigantic pile of salt where the chuch used to be.....you will know why!

To think that the beginning of February I was bored, still looking for work and worried about finances.....it seems like a world away.
It's now March 17th...been at the job for about 5 weeks and I have never worked harder in my life. Since it's just a different division of the same company I had worked for 10 years, it was easier to get up to speed, but the hours I'm putting in are crazy. For example: this past week, never home before 8 pm and last night I got home at 9. However I am thankful that I finally found a new career that I love and look forward to going into the office.
Recently, I got involved in a project cleaning up some "fall out" from a few clients we worked on last year. This was a very sensitive issue and had a lot of visibility..since I was closely involved and brought it to resolution, I got noticed by some of the real higher ups which is great. They have now asked that myself and my boss be in charge of getting our new location in another area of Georgia up and running (which needs to be done by May 16th mind you). The building is almost complete, and this week we hired 22 people. It's been crazy but a lot of fun.
On top of that, then I have been asked to go over seas over the summer for 3 weeks to work on a "off shoring" project. I'm very excited at this opportunity...however the thought of 3 weeks away...is a long time.
In other news...my new housekeeper starts today. WOO HOO!. I can't wait. I'm working my ass off..and am no longer going to spend my weekends trying to clean the house. I feel a little self indulgent with this one...but hell why not!
It's St. Patricks day...so I supposed I'll HAVE to go out tonight for a few beers...but they are MUCH needed after this week.
Hope y'all have a great weekend!

yes it's been awhile....

Well,
Now I'm back to the daily grind. Up at 5, gym at 6, leave the house at 7:15 for some of the longest days I've ever put in.
I have to say I LOVE my new job. It's good to be back at the same company that I put in 10.5 years. This new position however is A LOT of work, however I couldn't be happier with it.
My new boss is great...she gives me the freedom to shape and develop the department the way I see fit and is very supportive of whatever I do.
I also then just found out this week that I along with her will be leading our "shoring initiatives". We'll be responsible for staffing and getting our new location in "another part of Georgia" up and running. Additionally, we'll be involved in doing the same for a new location in India. The one in India will not really be client facing, just a data entry type location. It's going to be a tough few months ahead....but feels like I'm doing right thing.
For the past 2 weeks I haven't been getting home in the evenings until between 8 and 9 pm...been some long days and then I normally pass out by 10 pm. Can anyone say LOSER.
The Company I work for has traditionally been fairly lean and mean...and the ones who roll up their sleeves, take on the extra work and are willing to chip in are the ones that succeed and get promoted to the positions they want.....let's hope this is still the case!

And on the third day...

So today will be day 3 of the new job. It has been a whirlwind of meeting people in the office, going to meetings and trying to get a handle on the team of people that reports to me.
One of the challenges is always trying to get to know the people on your team, especially when they had another manager that didn't really "manage" them properly so they have kind of of a jaded view of that position.
I'm not trying to come in and rock the boat right off the bat, but there are definitely some changes that need to be made.
For example, someone called on Monday to say they had car trouble (didn't call me as they didn't know I had started). They said they would be in later that day....never called back and never showed up.
WTF? First off...who does that? Second...does NO ONE hold them accountable for that? I mean come on...it's not grade school here people......
This should be a challenge that I am looking forward to.
If only the commute would be slightly more pleasant.....
oh yeah..and it's Valentines day....whatever! It is however my parents 49th wedding annivesary..

New Beginnings

Well today is it. I begin my new job this morning.
While I am excited to begin the new opportunity, I am not looking forward to the commute from East Atlanta to Alpharetta...but you do what you gotta do.
I'm sure this first day will be filled with meeting a bunch of people, introducing myself to all the people that will be on my team reporting to me...and trying to figure out the layout of the new building I'm in so I don't get lost!
I'm glad things all worked out the way they did and I am able to go back with all my tenure in place....and this is job that I think I will really enjoy as opposed to my last position which while it was a good job...I wasn't entirely happy with it.
Weekend was FANTASTIC.
Went out with some friends on Friday nite...and my stomach hurt from laughing so hard...got home WAY to late on saturday morning.
Had a neighborhood party Saturday night and then went and met a few friends again...Sunday was brunch, then to Woof's for a bit..home by 7 to watch TV and I was crashed in front of said TV by 9pm..
Hopefully the dogs will be ok today with me being gone all day....in fact they will probably be glad to be rid of me..
I feel like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl...let me break out the Carly Simon CD

Changing of the guards......

It was 2 years ago....I was in St. Croix with my then partner. We were sitting out by the pool and started chatting with another couple from Texas. We just hit it off and became friends....laughing, drinking having a great time. They wound up cancelling their flight home and stayed 3 extra days with us. We remained friends us traveling to Texas, them to Atlanta etc. Even after my relationship ended, we continued to talk a few times a week. I still went to Texas, them to Atlanta and we would meet in various locales for vacation (Palm Springs, Key West etc).
One half of their relationship is an eye doctor. Great guy, professional, down to earth. The other half runs a VERY profitable Internet company...however has become one of those people that everything is ALL ABOUT HIM!
When you talk to him it's about what he bought, where he shopped, where he traveled, his new Range Rover, his new office space, the massages he gets 2 times a week, his new Dolce and Gabbana swim suit....blah blah blah. He even cheated on his partner awhile back and came to Atlanta to escape. Last time I talked to him (he was drunk of course) it was all about how he thinks he loves the guy he cheated with...I told him then leave your partner (of 12 years mind you). He cried...then yelled at me....then was slurring...it was just uncomfortable.
I think I'm done with him....I just can't stand the "me, me me" thing anymore. I'm glad he's successful, I'm glad he's doing well. HOWEVER, his partner is totally devoted to him and he doesn't realize it, he actually went away 2 weeks ago with the guy he cheated with...and when I spoke to him last week to let him know I got a job finally..he said "oh that's great...oh I got a new Range Rover". What fucking-ever.
Honestly, I may not have much, but I have a nice house, some of my best friends live on my street and I'm happy.
Who needs "friends" like that....
I'm just sayin.

UPDATE: while at Publix earlier, I got a voice mail from him wishing me good luck next week when I go back to work. He's at the airport as he's flying to Paris for a few days......

deliver me.

Preperations and such....

Well I guess this is the last week of the non self imposed vacation. I had held off on doing any thing to my house for fear that if my severance had run without a replacement job, I couldn't afford to stay here much longer. So...today I am painting my foyer....or at least starting it. It's 22 feet high...so not a pleasant task..but one that should keep me occupied until tomorrow.
This weekend did some shopping for work clothes...I had worked out of my house since 2004...so it was time for some new clothes since I had lost about 30 pounds since then.
Did a little imbibing of some liquor on both Friday nite and Saturday night and some "fun" afterward on Saturday...
Sunday I nursed my 2 day old hangover with plenty of food, sofa and television.
Monday...drug test for the new job....and that's about it.
On tap for the rest of the week...finish the painting, clean the pad from top to bottom (no pun intended) and birthday celebrations this weekend....last one in my 30's.

The end of the line.....

Well it finally happened....I GOT A JOB TODAY!

what a relief....I had been laid off since summer of 2006. Anyone who thinks the job market out there is easy is in for a rude awakening.
I am ecstatic...and there will definately be some celebrating this weekend.
I start my new job on Monday Feb. 12 (the day after my birthday) and it couldn't be a better birthday gift...as the last day of my severance package is Friday the 10th.

I'm going back to "MEGA PAYROLL CORP". Working for a new division..however the bonus is I was taken back at the same salary I had last year when laid off, along now with a 14% bonus.

I'm very proud of you Christina.....very proud

Institution of Learning....

My niece just text messaged me (in text abbreviations of course) that yesterday she was accepted into the private high school that I had attended too many years ago. While she is ecstatic...I'm sure my sister is less than ecstatic as the tuition for this school is now 12,000 a year...for freaken high school. I think my college tuition was around that same amount when I started. With this news...now I feel even older!

Cautiously optimistic?

I had an interview on Friday with "MEGA CORP"...yes the same mega corp from where I was laid off last year. One of my friends who is a Sr. VP up there recommended me for the position. Although it's probably not my ideal job...it gets me back in the door..I keep my 10 year seniority and 5 weeks vacation...and they take you back at the same salary you "left" at. I went in there like this was my dream job.....talked about what a wonderful opportunity...drank the kool-aid...I would love to work with you...blah blah.
I think it may have worked. I got a call from HR around 4:30 telling me I should be expecting a call from the recruiter.
God I hope so...only 2 more weeks of severance (it actually runs out on my birthday)...yeah wonderful...WONDERFUL!!
In other news....there really is none. I've been keeping a low profile....trying to conserve money. weekend plans?
Need to go to Volvo today for a recall...something with the windshield wipers...damn swedes.
May go to gallery tonight as a neighbor of mine on Wisteria Lane has an exhibit and tonight is the closing reception....free wine anyone?

And so it continues....

So the job search continues...I had an interview with my old company for a different position last week. I THOUGHT that I would have been a good fit for this job, however I recieved the call yesterday that I didn't have enough "hands on people management skills". Yeah...what F'in ever.
She mentioned that she had called my old manager from N.J. (which is part of the reason I moved to Atlanta). He and I never really saw eye to eye.....in fact when I got promoted to the Mgt. position up there during the meeting where he told me he actually said "you're not my first choice for this but everyone else on the Mgt team wants you". Yeah...thanks!
So I continue to forge on...I'm trying to stay optimistic that any day now something will open up...and things will begin to fall back in place and I can begin to get myself out of this mess I feel I'm in.
Being unemployed actually does play some tricks on your mind..you begin to feel worthless, your self esteem takes a beating and when everyone in the neighborhood leaves for work in the morning you actually wish you were going with them.....